


A Quiet Corner

by msraven



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M, Minor Character Death, sad!fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-09
Updated: 2013-06-09
Packaged: 2017-12-14 11:21:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/836335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msraven/pseuds/msraven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amongst the sea of miniature costumed Avengers, is a thin little boy wearing a replica Hawkeye uniform and clutching a child-sized version of his recurve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Quiet Corner

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a fluffy little fic about Clint meeting a fan during a charity event, but it turned out much sadder than I intended.
> 
> You've been warned. This is a sad!fic.
> 
> (X-posted on my tumblr.)

It takes about four months for the Avengers to draw the line - no team public appearances unless it’s for charity. Steve and Tony, the only members of team comfortable around the press, take up the slack everywhere else.

While their charity events range from funding the arts to Habitat for Humanity to cancer research, it’s the children’s charities that they all enjoy the most, especially Clint. He usually hangs back until most of the press is gone and then finds a quiet corner to sit with the kids to teach them magic tricks or tell stories about the circus or just listen to them talk about whatever comes to mind. 

The archer tends to draw the smaller, shyer kids to his corner and he honestly doesn’t mind that they’re all wearing variations of the other Avengers’ marketing merchandise. Clint likes being the Avenger with smallest fan base - it allows him to walk the streets of New York mostly unnoticed, after all. Besides, it’s his job to be up and out of sight. If Clint had issues with anonymity, he would never have stopped performing in the circus to become a sniper. 

The latest event is for the Make-a-Wish Foundation and, while Clint knows this one is going to be hard for them all, he’s genuinely looking forward to the day. After the initial photos and interviews with the press, the kids will spend the day at the Tower and be allowed to experience a day in the life of an Avenger. Clint has been given clearance to take them on a ride in the quinjet and, although there were express instructions that the kids are to remain safely inside the aircraft, the archer figures that the rule’s a goner as soon as he sees Tony kneel in front of a little girl wearing a full Iron Man costume.

Clint turns to seek out a corner to wait out the press, but is stopped by his husband’s hand on his shoulder. He raises an eyebrow at Phil in question, but the SHIELD agent doesn’t say anything, only inclines his head towards the group of children and Clint’s heart jumps into his throat.

Amongst the sea of miniature costumed Avengers, is a thin little boy wearing a replica Hawkeye uniform and clutching a child-sized version of his recurve. Clint’s eyes swing to Phil’s in surprise - the PR team has never marketed a Hawkeye costume and the one the kid is wearing is way too accurate to be homemade.

“His mom sent a letter to SHIELD, which was then forwarded to me,” Phil explains with a casual shrug.

Clint reaches over and gives Phil’s fingers a quick squeeze, figuring that kissing his husband senseless is not the kind of attention he wants to attract right now.

Before Clint can walk over and introduce himself to the little boy, Steve takes a knee by the kid and gives him his most disarming smile.

“Hey there! I’m Steve. That’s a pretty impressive costume you have there.”

“Uh…thanks…um, thank you,” the little boy stammers before squaring his shoulders. ”My name is Justin and Mr. Phil gave me the _uniform._ ”

Clint grins, along with the rest of the room, at the correction. He doesn’t have to look over to know that Phil’s ears are probably pink.

“Well, it’s a great uniform, Justin,” Steve continues without missing a beat. “Before I let you meet Hawkeye, can you tell me why he’s your favorite Avenger?”

Clint gives Justin an encouraging smile when the boy bites his lip nervously and glances at him before speaking. “Cuz he’s an orphan like me and because he’s not a super-superhero,” Justin says and then winces. “He’s a superhero, but he’s not _super_ like you or Thor or the Hulk. He doesn’t have powers or anything, but he’s an Avenger because he’s totally awesome at what he does. He can get hurt but he still fights and I think that makes him even braver and shows me I can be brave too.”

There are several sniffles that follow Justin’s little speech and Clint, for once, ignores the presence of all the cameras and moves to the center of the room to squat in front of the little boy. 

“Hi Justin. I’m Clint and I think you’re braver than all of us combined,” Clint says sincerely and closes his eyes tight when the little boy surges into his arms. 

~^~

Natasha gives Justin the co-pilot’s seat in the quinjet so she can sit with her three shadows for the day and the little boy laughingly eggs Clint on as they zoom around the buildings chasing Tony and the two kids he has strapped securely in his arms. Clint isn’t surprised that Justin’s bow has been designed with a hidden mechanism that allows the little boy to draw it back even with his weakened muscles (Phil is amazingly thoughtful) and they spend close to an hour on the range until Justin’s energy starts to wane. At the end of the day, Justin’s adoptive parents give Clint and Phil tight hugs and promise to keep in touch as they juggle the now sleeping boy in their arms. 

Clint, and often Phil, talk to Justin at least once a week after the visit, both of them trying not to notice how much weaker the little boy seems after each successive call. When the time comes, Fury pulls them both from an active op and flies them directly to Colorado. Clint sits at Justin’s bedside with Phil’s hand a necessary anchor on his shoulder, holding the little boy’s hand as he finally slips away. 

There are other charities and other kids, but none ever match the impression Justin makes on their lives. Clint still has a tendency to retreat into a quiet corner during the events, but interspersed with stories of the circus and his adventures as an Avenger, is the story of _his_ hero - a little boy named Justin who showed him the true meaning of bravery.


End file.
